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Coronavirus heightens challenges for those living with addiction

Wicked Local North - 3/30/2020

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The coronavirus pandemic and social distancing rules are heightening challenges for many people, especially those living with addiction and substance abuse problems.

"The stress and anxiety of what's going on with the coronavirus is making people with substance abuse disorder more vulnerable to relapse," said Gina Hart, a social worker who specializes in addiction and also works at Marblehead High School.

"People are coping with financial troubles and they're stressed about health concerns. It's just a very vulnerable time."

Virtual meetings

A key part of recovery programs is meetings, where addicts come together to share their stories and find support. Due to social distancing, most of those meetings are canceled. Many are moving online using platforms like Zoom.

"If you're in early recovery, the biggest part of your recovery is going to meetings and getting together with other people," said Maureen Cavanagh, who lived in Marblehead for 20 years and now runs Magnolia New Beginnings, an organization that advocates for people with substance abuse disorders.

"But we're making the best of a bad situation."

Cavanagh is collecting a list of virtual meetings and posting them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MagnoliaNewBeginnings/.

Information about online meetings can also be found on websites for Alcoholics Anonymous (www.aa.org) and Narcotics Anonymous (www.na.org).

Local AA member shares info

A local business owner and longtime member of AA tells The Reporter that he attends about five meetings a week -- now all online.

"You're in a virtual room with 80-90 people. I was on one today and there were people from the Netherlands," said the man, who asked not to be identified. "Even for people who aren't tech savvy, it's easy."

He encouraged local people to check out the Facebook group Sober Together to learn about online meetings. "Everybody's trading information there."

Anne Lucas, a Marblehead playwright, just returned from Greece where her play, "Recovery," was being performed until coronavirus concerns shut down production. The play looks at relationships between addicted daughters and their mothers.

"My daughter in Pennsylvania has a group of women who go to her regular Saturday night AA meeting, and now they're doing it virtually, online. People in this community know that the way to stay sober is through support."

At North Shore Medical Center, recovery coaches are reaching out to clients and teaching them how to find virtual meetings, according to Deidra Smith, behavioral health program manager.

The "worried well"

In addition to those already in recovery, Smith is seeing a spike in people she calls the worried well. "They're people who maybe had one to two glasses of wine with dinner at night and are now having six to eight glasses," Smith said. "A lot of those people are now asking for help."

Smith's best advice is for people to contact their primary care doctors for resources. Also, www.recoverybinder.com offers a list of local agencies and connections.

Mental health counselor Ben Day, who runs Marblehead Counseling Center, is troubled that the state has decided to allow liquor stores to remain open, while most other stores are closed.

"We're sending a message that alcohol is an acceptable way to handle anxiety and stress," Day said.

In addition to online recovery meetings, Day encourages people to reach out to mental health professionals for virtual sessions and explore online wellness options including meditation and yoga.

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